Sorting machine



on. 10, 1933. J. w. BRYCE 1,930,262

SORTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l WNW |za4ss1esq anvemtoz Oct. 10, 1933. w, cz, 1,930,262

SORTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "mim- Milly? IGG 29 ve/ntoz I 37 as 35% gum:

50 Referring to the drawings:

- of hole combinations.

. [Patented Oct. 10,1933 I g i i 1,930,262

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE s oR'r I G MACHINE James W. Bryce, Bloomfield, N. J., assignor, by mesne assignments, to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of. New York Application September 5. 1928. Serial No. 304,137 I 'iClaims. (01. 209-110 I The present invention relates broadly to sort-, Reference numeral 3 in Figs 1 designates the ing machines for record cards and more especard stack from which the cards are picked by a cially to that kind of machines which are ablerto picker 4 and fed through the machine in usual sort the cards according to combinational index way by transport rolls 2. Picker ,4 is moved 5 pelntsreciprocally by link 1 connected by link 5 veccen- 60 As is well known in the artto which this intrically with adisk, rotated by toothed wheel 6 ventionrefers, any numeral may be represented which-in turn is driven by the motor. When the by one or acombination of index points, prefcards are fed through the machine a certain erably consisting of perforations. The appliance selected column will be analyzed by brush 7 con-- 0f combinational index points permits a more tacting roller 8-each time the brush 7 encounters 651 economical use of card space as for example, a hole in the column. The analyzing brush is for the ten numerals'only'four index point posii fastened to a brush holder 9 which is adjustable vtions need be provided instead of ten asit is to any card column. i necessary in the well known single index point Sorting of the cards is eifected in the known y i way by means of blades 10 leading to the individ- 70 present invention has o i s prin ipal ual sorting boxes. BladeslO are constructed in object to provide a new and efiicient mechanism the form of fingers lying upon'a plate forming the felenaiyzing d Be ng Ca ds according to armature of control magnets 11. This plate is combinational index points. 1 normally held by pressure spring 12 level with A therobiect 0f the'inventien is p v de guiding plate 13. When the card passes between .75 record controlled elements reciprocally operating plates 10 d idi l t 13ith tu of 7 W each other and to Control the t eehmagnets 11 will be energized in a manner correanism in accordance with said different reciprosponding to the meaning of the card perforacal cooperation; tions. Blades 10 under which the card is passing An ther j t of the invention is to control will be retained by the card but the remaining electrical sorting circuits by index points and spring blades may follow the armature plate to complete the circuits after a predetermined and thecard'will be guided betwe m s a delay to effeet Sortinge rated blades unit to the coordinated sorting box. A fu th r j ct o th nventi n is to provide While in the ordinary sorting machines of ,39 Sorter which picks the record ed g O this kind using "single hole cards the distance 85 cycle a d ls t sorting m an s in between analyzing brush '1 and sorting blades 10 accordance withthe data during the subsequent i ch that th card may directly control the cycle. r 1 sorting plates while itis passing'under the brush, Still a further object of the invention is to in the present casethe distancebetweenthe brush provide rn y .Operetiiig means 130 ead n and sorting blades corresponds to the width of a 9() record a of One rd during O y ewhile record card because the controlling operation ef e i Same time e Sorting mechanism s 0 fected by a certain card takes place during the trolled according to the previously read in data cycle subsequentto its analysis. Of l Preceding card; r w i Toothed wheel 6 drives a set of toothedwheels 40 .A furt r e t th v nt ns sts in 12-16 meshing with each other in synchronism theprovision 0f -c mu a rs a ernately with :the card feed mechanism but with such'a Cooperating With the c n n cuit for the ratio that each of the wheels 12-16 turns. only Sorting mechanism j half a revolution each machine cycle. Co-

I Ot e O j andedvantages w be heteinordinated and fixed toeach. of the wheels 12-16 aftersetforth in the accomp anying specification isa commutator, designated at 12a-16a (see also i and claims and shown in the drawings which Fig. 2). Each of the commutators 12a-15a comshow by way of illustration what is new conprises a metal cylinder upon which an-insulating sidered to be a preferred embodiment of the sleeve is fastened. Metal pins are fixed on the invention. commutator surface passing through the insulat- 1 ing material to provide an electrical; connection Fig. 1 shows a sorting machine according to between the metal cylinder and brushes. sliding t e present inventienp g in the surface of the commutator.

Fig. 2 is a circuit diagram of the sorter. In Fig. 2 is schematically shown a development Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the meaning of the commutators. Numerals 1'7 indicatethe conducting pins on the. insulating surface of the commutators which are electrically connected to the inner metal cylinder; this electrical connection is indicated in Fig. 2 by vertical connecting lines.

Both commutators 12a and 140: on the one hand and 13a and 15a on the other hand form a cooperating set and the two sets operate alternately under the control of the successive record cards and in turn control the sorting magnet. To each set of commutators four magnets 18ad and 20ad respectively, are coordinated, each controlling a brush 19. The brushes 19 carried by pivotally mounted links 21 are normally held in latched position by the pivoted arinatures 22 as will be clearly seen from Fig. 2. In the normal position as shown in this figure all brushes 19 are in position to engage the contacts 17 in the first and third circumferential rows from the top while a brush will be shifted from the first to the second or from the third to the fourth row when its coordinated magnet is energized and unlatches members 21.

Energization of these magnets is under the control of the combinational holes as will now be explained and shifting of brushes 19 occurs when those brushes arefree of that portion of the commutator surface on which the contacts are located. Released members'21 are restored at the end of each machine cycle to their normal positions by means of lugs provided upon wheels l2l5.

Commutator 16a is constructed in a different manner than the other commutators. It is provided with four contacts 23a-23d located as shown. The brushes 24a24d and 26a26d may contact the pins 23a23d connected with the inner metal cylinder and thus provide electrical connection with slip ring 25 upon which brush 27 slides to connect the commutator with the current supply.

The machine is provided with the usual selector 28 to assort only cards with a certain combination of index perforations. The driving motor is designated at 29 and is started by depressing start key 30, whereby relays 31 and 32 will be energized. When card feed has been initiated by motor 29 card lever contacts 33 are closed in the usual manner and relay 31 will maintain its own stick circuit until contacts 33 are opened upon failure of the card supply and consequent opening of contacts 33 or by depressing of stop key 34. In either case relay 32 will be deenergized and the motor circuit will be interrupted.

The operation of the sorter with respect to analyzing combinational holes and to controlling the sorting mechanism by a single impulse will now be explained.

When main switch 35 is closed and the operator depresses the start key '30, relays 31 and 32 will be energized and the motor circuit will be closed. Starting of the motor initiates the card feed and consequently closing of contacts 33. Relays 31 and 32 will remain energized and maintain the continuous operation of the machine.

The cards passing under the analyzing brush 7 are provided with single or combinational holes whereby four index spaces are provided to symbolize the numerals 0 to 9 as may be seen from Fig. 3. In this figure the different index spaces are designated with A, B, C and D and these different positions of a column are analyzed successively when the card passes under the brush.

The adjustment of commutator 16a relative to brushes 24ad and 36ad is such that points 23ad are passing under brushes 24ad and 36a-d respectively simultaneously with the passage of the A, B, C and D index spaces of a certain column under the analyzing brush.

If therefore there is a hole in the B position current will flow in the following circuit: From left line 37 of the current supply, wire 38, brush 27, slip ring 25, pin 23b, brush 24b, magnet 181), line 39, analyzing brush 7 now contacting contact roller 8, supply brush 40, to the right line 41 of the current supply. As the brushes 24a-d contact subsequently points 23a-d of commutator 16a which is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow, the corresponding magnets 18 will be energized in accordance with the hole combination. In consequence thereof the corresponding brushes 19 will be shifted. While the analyzed card is fed to the sorting plates 10 commutators 15a and 13a turn in the direction indicated by the arrows and one cycle after the analyzing period the brushes will encounter pins 17 and at a certain moment a circuit will be established through brushes 19, commutators 13a and 15a and sorting magnet 11; this movement is identical 'with the incoming of the combinational holes and the card now being under the plates 10 will be sorted accordingly. An example will show this more clearly: Assume that the analyzed column was punched in the B and C positions meaning numeral 8. When B position is analyzed magnet 18b will be energized and shift its brush 19 c to the lower position and the same operation will take place with magnet 18c and coordinated brush 19 when the punched C position is being analyzed. When commutators 13a and 15a are turning synchronously with the card passage no current circuit will be established through brushes 19 until position 8 of pins 17 of the commutators is under these brushes. Then a current impulse will be effected in the following Way: From current supply over line 37, relay 42, line 43 the shifted brush 19, lower pin 17 in 8- position, upper pin 17, shifted brush l9 coordinated to magnet 18b, line 44, brush 19 of magnet 180 now shifted to its lower position, pin 17 in 8- position, upper pin 17, the shifted brush 19 of magnet 18d to line 41 and back to the current supply.

By energization of relay 42 a current impulse will be effected over selector 28 and sorting magnets 11 now controlling the plates 10 and guiding the card to station 8 of the sorter.

As there is one cycle difference between the analyzing operation and the sorting operation, the two sets of magnets 18 and 20operate alternately. It may be easily recognized from Fig.2 that brushes 2Ga-d read in the indications of the following card and control magnets 20 accordingly, while brushes 19 coordinated to magnets 18 read out from commutators 13a and 15a and control the sorting mechanism according to the previous analysis as has been explained. On the other hand during reading-in of brushes 24, the brushes 19 coordinated to magnets 20 read out from commutators 12a and 14a and control the sorting magnet accordingly. card feed and high sorting speed may be obtained though analyzing and sorting operation occur at different machine cycles. Though the foregoing specification will give a complete understanding of the invention, reference may be made to my prior application Serial No. 222,-- 467, filed September 28, 1927 in which the structural features of the device used in combination with this invention are explained in detail.

While there has been shown and described and Thus continuous pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A sorting machine for records having combinational index points, analyzing means, reading-in means controlled by said analyzing means and consisting of a commutator having a plurality of differentially spaced contacts on its surface, a sorting mechanism, controlling means therefor, reading-out means for controlling said controlling means, said reading-out means comprising also a commutator having a plurality of differentially spaced contacts on, its surface.

2. A sorting machine for records having combinational index points, analyzing means for analyzing said records while they are in motion, reading-in means controlled by' said analyzing means and consisting of a commutator having a plurality of difierentially spaced contacts on its surface,a sorting mechanism, controlling means therefor and reading-out means for controlling said controlling means, said reading-out means comprising also a commutator having a plurality of differentially spaced contacts on its surface.

3. In a sorting machine, the combination with a single element for successively searching the reading combinational holes of records, means for setting up electrical contacts in different com- ..binations, a commutator having differentially positioned contacts for successively connecting the setting means with said reading element, means for converting the combinational reading of the set electrical contacts to a single reading, and a card distributing means under control of the last named means.

- 5. In a sorting machine, a single element for analyzing combinational index points of a card,

a plurality of settable elements, a commutator rotatable .in timed relationship with the card analyzed for rendering said elements successively settable in combinations under control of the single analyzing element, means for interpreting the setting of said elements as a single timed electrical impulse, and a card distributing mechanism energized by the transmitted electrical impulse including a single magnet for effecting selective distribution of the card by card passage forming means of the distributing mechanism, said impulses being timed to occur with the correlation of a card and the passage forming means.

6. In a sorting machine comprising incombination, a plurality of sets of reading-in devices and a corresponding number of sets of readingout devices, means whereby either set of the reading-out devices control a card distributing mechanism, a single reading element for analyzing the, combinational hole records, and a commutator for associating the single reading element with each set of reading-in devices to efiect a representation thereon.

'7. In a sorting machine comprising in combination, a card sorting'control device, a reading-out commutator having contacts on its periphery, and means under control of the combinational holes in the cards for shifting contacts laterally along the commutator periphery in different combinations to coact with the commutator contacts to eflect a differentially timed electrical impulse to the card sorting control device at a certain position of the commutator. JAMES W. BRYCE. 

